Infectious Etiology of Chronic Diseases

In recent years, a number of chronic diseases have been linked, in some cases definitively,to an infectious etiology: peptic ulcer disease with Helicobacter pylori, cervicalcancer with several human papillomaviruses, Lyme arthritis and neuroborreliosis withBorrelia burgdorferi, AIDS with the human immunodeficiency virus, liver cancer andcirrhosis with hepatitis B and C viruses, to name a few. The proven and suspectedroles of microbes does not stop with physical ailments; infections are increasinglybeing examined as associated causes of or possible contributors to a variety of serious,chronic neuropsychiatric disorders and to developmental problems, especiallyin children. The Infectious Etiology of Chronic Diseases: Defining the Relationship, Enhancing theResearch, and Mitigating the Effects, summarizes a two-day workshop held by theInstitute of Medicine's Forum on Microbial Threats to address this rapidly evolvingfield. Participants explored factors driving infectious etiologies of chronic diseases ofprominence, identified difficulties in linking infectious agents with chronic outcomes,and discussed broad-based strategies and research programs to advance the field.